JP2002021412A - Hinge device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hinge device improved so as to be able to inhibit the fluttering of a lid at the position of full opening without making operating physical force in the case of closing excessive in a glove compartment or the like for a vehicle. SOLUTION: The hinge device 6 with a fixing-side member 7, a movable-side member 8 and a shaft 9 connecting these both members relatively rotatably has an outer circumferential member 12 fixed to either one of these both members and an inner circumferential member 11 fixed to the other in the inserting sections of the shaft of the fixing-side member and the movable-side member and an O ring 14 for generating frictional resistance installed between opposed surfaces in the radial direction of the outer circumferential member and the inner circumferential member. Accordingly, the resistance to deformation of the O ring can be utilized as the rotary resistance of the hinge device.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hinge device and, more particularly, to a hinge device suitable for a small storage compartment for a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a glove box or a console box provided in a passenger compartment of an automobile, a storage portion for articles and a lid for closing an opening of the storage portion are connected to each other via a hinge device. Conventionally, in this hinge device,
No special turning resistance applying means was provided.

[0003]

However, in general, a lid in a closed state is generally held by a latch mechanism, but a lid in an open state is generally not held. The lid in the state could flutter due to vibration, or the lid could suddenly close and produce a loud tapping sound. Such flapping of the lid at the time of opening and occurrence of a tapping sound at the time of closing the lid are unfavorable because they contribute to impairing the commerciality of the automobile.

[0004] There is also a structure in which a torsion spring is incorporated into a hinge device so that a resilient force in the opening direction always acts on the lid. However, if the spring force is determined so as not to flutter at the fully open position, There is a disadvantage that the operation force at the time of closing becomes excessive.

[0005] The present invention has been devised to solve such problems of the prior art, and its main objects are as follows.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved hinge device that can suppress flapping of a lid at a fully open position without increasing an operation force at the time of closing in a vehicle accessory case or the like.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a hinge device having a fixed member, a movable member, and a shaft for connecting the two members so as to be relatively rotatable. The outer peripheral member fixed to one of these members and the inner peripheral member fixed to the other at the insertion portion of the shaft of the fixed side member and the movable side member, and the radial direction of the outer peripheral member and the inner peripheral member. And an O-ring for generating frictional resistance mounted between the opposing surfaces. In this way, the deformation resistance of the O-ring can be used as the rotation resistance of the hinge device.

In particular, it is preferable to provide convex portions on both the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral member and the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral member that can face each other near the fully opened position. According to this, the turning resistance by the O-ring in the specific section can be particularly increased.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a center console box 1 to which a hinge device according to the present invention is applied. The center console box 1 includes an accessory storage unit 2 and
The lid 3 opens and closes the opening of the storage section 2,
It is provided between the driver's seat 4 and the front passenger seat 5 of the passenger car. The lid 3 is connected to the storage section 2 via a hinge device described later so as to be rotatable around its rear end.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the hinge device 6 includes a fixed member 7 attached to the opening surface of the housing portion 2 of the console box and a movable member 8 attached to the inner surface of the rear end of the lid 3. And a shaft 9 for connecting the two members 7 and 8 so as to be relatively rotatable. And both members 7
8 is constantly resiliently urged by a torsion coil spring 10 wound around a shaft 9 in a direction in which the lid 3 is kept open (see FIG. 4). That is, the lid 3 connected to the storage unit 2 via the hinge device 6 is always subjected to the opening force, and the latch mechanism (not shown) is in the closed state (see FIG. 3).
Is to be held.

As shown in FIG. 5, an inner peripheral member 11 is connected to the shaft insertion hole 7 a of the fixed member 7 so as to be integral with the fixed member 7. An outer peripheral member 12 is coupled to the shaft insertion hole 8 a of the movable member 8 so as to be integral with the movable member 8. Both the inner peripheral member 11 and the outer peripheral member 12 are formed of a synthetic resin material.

The inner peripheral member 11 has a central portion 11a through which the shaft 9 is inserted and which is coupled to the fixed side member 7;
a, a central portion 11b extending axially from
a and a disc portion 11c integrally formed at an intermediate position between the inner cylinder portion 11a and the inner cylindrical portion 11b.

The outer peripheral member 12 has a central portion 12a through which the shaft 9 is inserted and which is connected to the movable member 8;
The disk part 12c is formed integrally with one end in the axial direction of a and an outer cylindrical part 12b formed integrally with the outer periphery of the disk part 12c.

When the inner peripheral member 11 and the outer peripheral member 12 are mounted on the shaft 9 in the axial direction, the disk portions 1
An annular space 13 having a rectangular cross section is formed between the opposing surfaces in the axial direction of 1c and 12c and between the opposing surfaces in the radial direction of the inner cylindrical portion 11b and the outer cylindrical portion 12b. It is formed. An O-ring 14 is attached to the space 13 with its inner and outer peripheral surfaces pressed against the inner and outer cylindrical portions 11b and 12b, respectively. Due to the reaction force (pressing force) generated when the O-ring 14 is elastically deformed, an appropriate rotation resistance acts between the inner cylindrical portion 11b and the outer cylindrical portion 12b.

As shown in FIG. 6, an outward convex portion 15 is formed at one position on the outer peripheral surface of the inner cylindrical portion 11b over an appropriate angle range (A). An inward convex portion 16 having a semicircular cross section is formed at one location on the inner peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 12b. These outward projections 15 and inward projections 1
6 are determined such that one circumferential end of the outward convex portion 15 and the center of the inward convex portion 16 are aligned with each other at the position where the lid 3 is fully opened. When the two convex portions 15 and 16 face each other within a predetermined angle range (A) from the fully open position toward the closing direction, and when the outer cylindrical portion 12b (movable side member 8) further rotates in the closing direction beyond the angle. The two convex portions 15 and 16 are determined so as not to be related to each other.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of the present invention will be described. When the lid 3 in the closed state is opened, the O-ring 14 rotates by an amount corresponding to the pressing force of the inward projection 16 until the inward projection 16 reaches the other circumferential end of the outward projection 15. Increases resistance. In the section (angle A) in which the outward convex portion 15 and the inward convex portion 16 face each other, the amount of deformation of the O-ring 14 is further increased, and the rotational resistance is further increased accordingly. In this section, that is, in the vicinity of the fully open position, the elastic force of the torsion coil spring 10 is minimum,
As described above, the rotation resistance force of the O-ring 14 is particularly increased only in the section of the predetermined angle A of the full rotation angle B, so that the lid 3 flutters near the fully open position. In the section of the angle A, a free stop action in which the lid 3 stands still can be obtained.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the O-ring is deformed and mounted between two members constituting a part of the hinge device, so that the pressing force of the O-ring is reduced by the rotation resistance of the hinge device. Since it can be used as a force, it is possible to obtain a hinge device that can preferably prevent the lid from fluttering at the fully open position without complicating the structure and without increasing the operation force at the time of closing. In particular, if both the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral member and the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral member are provided with convex portions that can be opposed to each other in the vicinity of the fully opened position, only the section where the convex portions are opposed to each other is an O-ring Since the amount of deformation increases and the turning resistance can be increased in this specific section, the free stop action can be applied to the lid in this section.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle center console to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the hinge device according to the present invention in a closed state;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the hinge device according to the present invention in a closed state;

FIG. 4 is a front view of an open state of the hinge device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 center console box 2 accessory storage unit 3 lid 4 driver's seat 5 front passenger seat 6 hinge device 7 fixed side member 8 movable side member 9 shaft 10 torsion coil spring 11 inner peripheral member 12 outer peripheral member 13 space 14 O-ring 15 outward convex Part 16 Inward convex part

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A hinge device comprising a fixed side member, a movable side member, and a shaft connecting these two members so as to be able to rotate relative to each other, wherein an insertion portion of the shaft between the fixed side member and the movable side member. An outer peripheral member fixed to one of these two members and an inner peripheral member fixed to the other member; and a frictional resistance mounted between radially opposed surfaces of the outer peripheral member and the inner peripheral member. A hinge device having an O-ring for use in the hinge device. 2. The hinge according to claim 1, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral member and the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral member are provided with convex portions that can face each other near the fully open position. apparatus. 3. A storage part side member provided in an article storage part, a lid side member provided in a lid for closing an opening of the article storage part, and the lid side member is rotatably connected to the storage part side member. A hinge device for a vehicle accessory box having a shaft that is fixed to one of these members at an insertion portion of the shaft of the housing portion side member and the lid side member, and the other. An inner peripheral member fixed to the outer peripheral member and an O-ring for generating frictional resistance mounted between radially opposed surfaces of the outer peripheral member and the inner peripheral member. Hinge device. 4. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral member and the outer peripheral surface of the inner peripheral member are provided with convex portions that can face each other near the fully open position. Hinge device for storing small items.